Bait for a Gentleman novel Chapter 82

Sebastian shot him a dry look. "You deserve it."

Audrina couldn't hold back a laugh.

Willow whipped around to glare at her. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing. I just think you two make a great couple."

Who would ever want to be a couple with him!

The rest of the dinner was agonizingly awkward for Willow.

When they finally wrapped up, Carter checked the time. It was only a little past eight.

Clearly not ready to call it a night, he immediately suggested they move the party to Vantachi.

Sebastian and Audrina didn't mind, but Willow hesitated, suddenly acting coy.

Unfortunately for her, she didn't have veto power and was practically dragged along by Audrina.

On the way there, sitting in Willow's passenger seat, Audrina glanced in the rearview mirror and noticed a car trailing them the entire drive...

The lighting in the VIP lounge was dim and moody.

After a few rounds of drinks, Willow completely forgot her earlier awkwardness and somehow ended up partying it up with Carter.

The two were playing drinking games and clinking glasses, each trying to out-shout the other.

Audrina leaned back in the booth, holding a barely-touched drink, her mind still lingering on the car that had followed them earlier.

Sebastian's phone buzzed, and he stepped out of the room to take the call.

Watching the door pull shut, Willow turned to Carter. "You're tight with Mr. Hawthorne. Can you spill how he and Audrina actually hooked up? I asked her on the drive over, but she dodged the question."

Audrina had been too distracted during the ride to give her a real answer.

Carter tipped his head back, downing the rest of his drink. "Now that is a long story."

"Sebastian was there that night, too," Carter revealed. "When you walked in on Zachary's arm, he asked me who the girl standing next to Zachary was. I told him it was his fiancée, Ms. Monroe."

He mimicked the hum Sebastian had made back then, his gaze drifting in another direction.

"He didn't say anything else. But I know him. He spent the rest of the night totally distracted, utterly bored. He grew up having the world handed to him on a silver platter. At every event he goes to, women practically throw themselves at him. But I've never, ever heard him ask who a girl was."

"That night was the first time he ever asked a question like that."

"So I messed with him," Carter smirked. "I said, 'They're so in love. Look at how closely she sticks to Zachary's side. Don't even bother looking; I bet she won't glance your way once.'"

"I thought he was going to ignore me. But then he asked—"

"What's the bet?"

Carter let out a rakish laugh. "I told him I'd bet the new Pagani he had just bought."

"Right before the party ended, Zachary was leading you toward the exit. When you two passed by us, Zachary nodded in our direction, but—" Carter looked straight at Audrina. "You didn't even give him a passing glance."